Much Ado About A Name
by eryv
Summary: So...what exactly IS her last name? Neji finds out. NejTen, Oneshot.


Much Ado about a Name

Tenten was an average girl, everyone would agree. True, her career was a curious one being a weapons mistress, but that was about it. For Tenten had average wants, average needs, an average life and no particular remarkable quirks about her body or appearance apart from the two buns that sat on each side of her head.

Yep, Tenten was an average girl. Everyone agreed.

So it was unexpected that one day her team mate asked a rather un-average question that one would ask someone they have known very closely for 8 years or so.

"Tenten," Her team mate Neji panted after a rough sparring match, "What's your last name?"

Now, Tenten was not so unfathomly average that she would explode from the sound of something un-average. So instead, she just turned around, and gave her team-mate a questioning look, eyebrows raised.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean exactly what I said, Tenten. What's your last name?"

Tenten's eyes grew fierce at her comrade's question.

"You mean to tell me," she began, growing angry, "That we have known each other _years _and _years_ and you don't even know my last name?"

Neji shuffled his feet sheepishly behind his stoic mask.

"It never turned up in conversation."

Tenten looked shocked.

"And it took you until now to bother to find out?"

And with that she stormed off, leaving behind a very confused and unsatisfied Hyuga Neji.

Contrary to popular belief, Neji isn't totally incompetent of feeling emotions. Neji was properly upset that he had hurt his team mate (even if he didn't understand what the big deal was), but in true Neji style he decided to leave it to her to sort out her emotions, and in the meantime to try and not to get on the weapon mistress' bad side.

But that night in bed Neji couldn't get a wink of sleep, and the next morning headed to the training grounds with heavy bags under his eyes and with a nagging question distracting him.

'What was Tenten's last name?'

That training he was so distracted, he let Tenten beat him to a pulp and he hadn't even meant to. It was a good mistake though, because she seemed to be much less angry after that.

But that didn't stop the question repeating itself over and over in his mind.

The next day, it was worse. He even forgot to brush his hair (and _that_ was embarrassing).

The day after that, Lee beat him in a sparring match.

The next _week_, he had developed a noticeable twitch above his left eye.

And the next month- well let's just say it wasn't pretty.

Growing obsessive with the daunting question, Neji now spent more time in the library looking up Tenten's family history, rather than training with her. He kept on thinking that he must have heard it _somewhere!_ You couldn't be in physical contact with someone and know them closely for several years and not even hear a whisper of what their last name was. It just _wasn't possible!_

A week after reading everything ever written about Tenten's family with not a mention of a last name found (which you'd think would be impossible, but then you'd be wrong), Neji had gone quite mad. Sometimes he'd even mutter to himself; 'What is it? What is it? What is it?' repeatedly under his breath.

This eventually drew the attention of his friends and team mates.

"Yosh!" Gai whispered obviously one training lesson to his two remaining sane students (luckily Neji couldn't hear, muttering to himself as he was), "Neji's flame of youth is enraged by passionate desire for knowledge! That is truly impressive!"

"Truly!" Lee agreed, before a spark filled his eyes, "Sensei! We must follow his example and reach for knowledge also!"

At this Gai gave the thumbs up, his teeth twinkling like in those corny toothpaste ads;

"YOSH!" he now gave away all concealment of his speech, "Let's go Lee! Into that sunset!"

And they did just that, abandoning Tenten and leaving her quite alone with the psycho (but let's be honest, when they were still with her she was still alone with lunatics).

Taking a breath to steady herself, she walked over to where Neji was rocking in a foetal position and muttering incoherent words.

"Neji?" she ventured, crouching down to him, "Are you okay?"

But Neji just began muttering faster.

Sighing, Tenten stood, real concern in her features.

"Do you want to go home?" she asked, but Neji just shook his head, still muttering.

"Well…okay then…" she finished uncertainly. She watched him for a moment, before slowly walking away.

But the sight of the one who knew the answer to his question leaving sparked alarm in Neji's poor frenzied mind.

"Wait!" he called hysterically, causing Tenten to almost jump out of her skin, "Wait up! I have something to ask you!"

She turned, frowning as he stumbled and hurried up to her.

He cringed for a moment, and then blurted out;

"What's your last name?"

She stared at him, blinked, shook her head and then blinked again.

"Sorry?"

"I said, 'What's your last name?"

Her face grew hard like the last time he asked her this same question, in this same place. He hurried on with an explanation;

"I've been looking everywhere, Tenten! I've looked up your _entire_ family history, I've combed through every moment in our Academy years, and I've even looked up the old ninja records! So please tell me!"

She didn't look convinced, so he took a deep breath divulged everything about her family he had learnt.

By the time he had finished her mouth was agape. Realising this after a deadly silence, she closed it with a start.

"Well, ah…" she suddenly paused, and stared at him straight in the eye, "Is this what you've been obsessing over the last few weeks?"

"Yes."

"My last name?"

"Yes."

"And you…" a smile was growing on her face, "and you researched my _entire family history_?"

"Yes!"

At this she began laughing. Neji just waited patiently for it to pass.

…ten minutes later, he lost said patience.

"Please tell me!" he begged. Tenten, who was looking less amused now and rubbing her stomach, just nodded.

But just as she opened her mouth, giggles erupted again. As you can imagine, it was quite startling to see Tenten giggling. Usually she wouldn't be caught dead.

But when she was able, she told him. Unfortunately it was so long and hard to pronounce, he forgot it almost as soon it entered his head. I memorised it but…well, I can't spell it.

THE END

Oh, and Neji did end up learning her last name. He now knows it everywhere he goes. In fact, everyone knows what it is. He just can't stop saying it, over and over.

So when by chance, a young Genin asks;

"Tenten-sensei? What's your last name?" Neji looks down at them, large smile on his face as he tells them.

"Her name is Hyuga Tenten," he says, "Hyuga Tenten, my wife."

* * *

_AWWW!_ yes I know it wasn't even slightly romantic, but hey. What can you do? My humour always diggs its claws into it.

Press the reveiw button. Go on. HEY! Don't even think about not. I edited this and everything b:


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